Dispensing faucet



1933- 'D. H. REEVES 1,923,585

DISPENSING FAUCET Filed July 20. 1932 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 duo: cg S Aug.22, 1933. D. H. REEVES 1,923,585

DISPENSING FAUCET Filed July 20. 1932 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Aug. 22, 1933. D,REEVES DISPENSING FAUCET Filed July 20, 1932 I5 Sheets-Sheet 5 PatentedAug. 22, '1933 UNITED STATES DISPENSING FAUCET Donald H. Reeves, Dayton,Ohio, assignor to Frigidaire Corporation, Dayton, Ohio, a Corporation ofDelaware Application July 20, 1932. Serial No. 623,549

4 Claims.

This invention relates to refrigeration and more particularly to afaucet adapted to be used with water coolers or other devices fordispensing drinking water and other beverages and is particularlyadapted to be used in connection customary to fill relatively fragilepaper or card:

board drinking cups with liquid from such devices.

An object of this invention is to provide a faucet of the characterabove described which may be controlled by the same hand which holds thecup or other drinking receptacle without danger of crushing the cup andwithout the necessity of using the other hand to control the flow ofliquid through the faucet.

Another object of this invention is to provide a faucet having adischarge nozzle provided with a removable ornamental cover in suchamanner that the cover may be separately manufactured and finished.

Another object of this invention isto provide a cover for the nozzle ofthe faucet which is insulated from the nozzle to prevent thecondensation of moisture on the cover when the faucet is used todischarge cold liquids.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparentfrom the following description, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, wherein a preferred form of the present invention is clearlyshown.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a vertical cross-sectional view of a faucet embodying featuresof my invention, together with certain associated elements, some ofwhich are diagrammatically shown;

Fig. 2 is a view in perspective of a type of water cooler in which myimproved faucet may be used;

Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the valve shown in Fig. 1 with theprotective cover for the discharge pipe removed;

Fig. 4 is a front elevation of the protective cover for the dischargepipe; and

Fig. 5 is a horizontal cross-sectional view taken along the line 5-5 ofFigfl'l Heretofore it has been customary to provide faucets for watercoolers or other beverage supply devices from which a drinkingreceptacle made of glass or other relatively hard substance might befilled with the use of but a single hand. In these prior constructionsit was necessary to use the drinking glass or receptacle itself as theactuating device to control the flow of liquid through the faucet. Inthese prior constructions, the levers to be actuated by the drinkingglass had such a resistance to actuation that it would be impractical toactuate them with the relatively fragile cardboard or paper cups nowusually provided in offices and other places without crushing ordamaging the cups. Accordingly, it was customary where these fragilecups were to be used to provide faucets with controls to be manipulatedby the hand not holding the cup, thus requiring both hands for thefilling operation. A faucet constructed in accordance with my invention,however, may be easily actuated by the same hand which holds the papercup without the least danger of crushing the cup thus eliminating thenecessity to use both hands, and thus permitting persons carryingpackages or the like to obtain a drink without the annoyance incident tothe use of both hands. I accomplish this by providing a faucet with arelatively large liquid flow control button or actuating portion belowthe discharge nozzle of the faucet in such a position that the knucklesor fingers of the hand holding the cup in a natural manner may be usedto actuate the button while holding the cup in a position to receive theflow of liquid from the nozzle without imposing an undue strain on thecup, so that the filling of the fragile cup can be readily accomplishedwith but a single hand Without danger of crushing the cup.

This invention is susceptible of embodiment in many forms, all comingwithin its purview. In order that the invention may be readilyunderstood, and not with the intention of limiting its scope, itsapplication to the embodiment or form now preferred will now be morefully described.

In this particular embodiment, the faucet includes a discharge nozzle 10which is connected to a liquid supply line 11 shown partly incrosssection and partly diagrammatically in Fig. 1. A suitable valve 13is provided for controlling the flow of liquid from the supply line 11tov the nozzle 10. An actuating member or liquid flow control device isprovided, and this actuating member operates the valve 13 and has aportion, conveniently in the shape of a relatively large button 14,positioned below the nozzle for actuating the valve 13. The button l iis placed in such a position and at such a distance with respect to thenozzle 10 that the button 14 may be actuated by the hand 15 whileholding a fragile paper or cardboard cup 16 below the nozzle so that thecup can be readily filled with liquid discharged from the nozzle 10without imposing any undue strain on the cup which is likely to crush ordistort the cup.

The construction of the actuating member and of the valve 13 is suchthat but a very slight effort is necessary for actuation. To this end,the button 14 is mounted on a sliding rod 17 which in turn actuates alever 18. The lever 18 conveniently is in the form of a flat sheet metalmember with reinforcing integral flanges 18a on each side and having anelongated opening 19 straddling the nozzle 10 and provided with acircular opening 19a for the reception of the bolt 20. On each side ofthe circular opening 19, the member 18 is struck or drawn to providebulges 21 which rest against the face 22 of the faucet and form pivotpoints for the lever 18. The bulges 21 of the lever 18 are held againstthe face 22 by means of a coiled spring 23 interposed between the lever18 and the head of the bolt 20. The lever 18 actuates a sliding rod 24which in turn actuates the valve 13. The valve 13 is carried by a rod25, conveniently formed integrally with the valve 13 and which slides inthe slideway 26. The valve 13 is held in closed position by thespring'2'7 and rests against the rubber insert 28 as will be apparent inFig. 1. The valve structure is held in place in the water cooler orcabinet, for example, by providing a flange 29 which rests against therubber gaskets 30 on each side of the wall 31 of the water cooler and.which are locked in place by means of a washer 32 and nut 33. The valvecasing is made of two parts 29a and 29b held together against the gasket29a by screw 29d (the heads shown in Fig. 3) which pass through part 29ainto part 29b.

The liquid supply line 11 is adapted to have water under relatively lowpressure, so that the water does not splash when discharged into the cupor destroy the same. Thus if the cooler is supplied with water from ademijohn 34, as shown in Fig. 2, the water in the supply line 11 will beonly under the slight hydrostatic head due to such a construction.However, if the liquid supply line 11 is connected to the city watersupply or other supply under a relatively high pressure, the line 11 maybe provided with an automatic liquid pressure reducing device valve orrestricting orifice 35, diagrammatically shown in Fig. 1, whichautomatically maintains the liquid pressure in the line 11 below apredetermined or safe limit while being discharged. When the device isconnected to a water supply of relatively high pressure, the area of thevalve 12 is made sufficiently small so that the button 14 is easilyactuated notwithstanding the heavy pressure.

Another feature of this invention is particularly useful when thisnozzle is used in connection with a water cooler or other device wherethe fluid discharged through the faucet is maintained at a relativelylow temperature. This feature includes the use of an ornamental cover 36for the nozzle 10. This ornamental cover forming an insulated shieldaround the nozzle being readily removable when desired, and which is notlikely to sweat or have moisture deposited on its exterior surface whenthe atmosphere has a relatively high humidity. The cover 36 is providedinteriorly with notches 37 in which the spring clips 38 are adapted tocatch and hold the cover 36 in place when it is forced against thecooler. The clips 38 are provided with bent portions 39, which may beheld against the outer wall 40 of the water cooler by means of the nutand bolt construction 41 shown in detail in Fig. 5, and, if desired, asuitable gasket 42 may be interposed between the nozzle 10 and the cover36. This insures that no sweating will occur on the exterior surface ofthe cover 36 and also permits the finishing operations to be limited tothe removable part or cover 38 of the faucet as will be readilyunderstood.

A trough may be secured to the lower side of the nozzle 10, so that ifany water flows along the rod 24, it falls into the trough 50 and isdischarged through the opening 51, the end 52 of the trough being closedto prevent flow of condensed water at that end. By this construction therod 24 does not require a tight stufflng box in part 29a and thus has afree action and reduces the pressure required to manipulate the button14.

In operation, the user takes the paper or cardboard cup 16 in the hand,and, while protecting the cup from crushing pressure by means of hishand, actuates the button 14 with the knuckles or other portions of thefingers of the same hand which holds the cup 16. The water or otherliquid is gently discharged into the cup from the nozzle 10 until thehand is withdrawn from the button 14. In this manner it is necessary touse but a single hand for the filling operation, notwithstanding thefact the cup being used may be of such frailness that it would bedestroyed if a similar operation were attempted with any of the priordevices used for discharging water or other beverages under similarconditions.

While the form of embodiment of the invention as herein disclosed,constitutes a preferred form, it is to be understood that other formsmight be adopted, all coming within the scope of the claims whichfollow.

What is claimed is as follows:

1. A faucet for beverages, drinking water, or the like comprising adischarge nozzle, a liquid supply line for said nozzle, a valve forcontrolling the flow of liquid from said line to said nozzle, and anactuating member for said valve, said actuating member having a portionpositioned belowsaid nozzle at such a distance and positioned withrespect to said nozzle that said portion may be actuated byv the handwhile holding a cup in a natural manner below said nozzle in a positionto receive the flow of liquid from said nozzle without danger ofspilling.

2. Afaucet for beverages, drinking water, or the like comprising adischarge nozzle, a liquid supply line for said nozzle, a valve forcontrolling the flow of liquid from said line to said nozzle, and anactuating member for said valve, said actuating member having a largeactuating button positioned below said nozzle at such a distance andposition with respect to said nozzle that said button may be actuated bythe hand while holding a cup in a natural manner below said nozzle in aposition to receive the flow of liquid from said nozzle without dangerof spilling.

3. A faucet for beverages, drinking water, or the like comprising adischarge nozzle, a liquid supply line for said nozzle, an automaticliquid pressure regulating device in said line for maintaining theliquid pressure in said line adjacent said nozzle below a predeterminedlimit, a valve for controlling the flow of liquid from said line to saidnozzle, and an actuating member for said valve, said actuating beactuated by the for controlling the flow of liquid from said line tosaid nozzle, and an actuating member for said valve, said actuatingmember having a large actuating button positioned at such a distancebelow said nozzle and position with respect to said nozzle that saidbutton may be actuated by the hand while holding a cup in a naturalmanner below said nozzle in a position to receive the flow of liquidfrom of spilling.

said nozzle without danger DONALD H. REEVES.

